Ying Fusu

After bidding farewell to Zhang Han at the pavilion twenty miles outside the city, Fusu did not rush back to Xianyang Palace.

—If nothing unexpected happens, Fusu will spend the rest of his life in that 'gloomy' Xianyang Palace.

Of course, this was after the world was at peace and Fusu returned from Xingyang.

Later in his life, Fusu might occasionally travel around Xianyang.

It's also possible that in a moment of impulsiveness, someone might emulate the First Emperor and embark on a tour of Guandong.

But most of the time, Fusu would definitely stay in Xianyang Palace, ostensibly to "hold the reins of power."

After realizing this, Fusu always cherished the time he could spend outside the palace—especially outside Xianyang.

Just like now, having finally had the chance to leave the city, Fusu naturally wouldn't rush back to continue feeling bored in Xianyang Palace.

"The affairs of the court are overseen by the Right Chancellor, Feng Quji."

"With the assistance of the Grand Censor Feng Jie, who also oversees all officials, he can be considered to have the beginnings of a 'sub-prime minister'."

"Furthermore, the Imperial Physician Meng Yi is in charge of the palace..."

"We are still missing a Commandant of the Imperial Guards in charge of palace defenses, and a Lieutenant in charge of the defenses of Xianyang city;"

"With Zhang Han gone, there's no one in charge of the Imperial Household Department, so I'll have to find a new accountant..."

Sitting alone in the pavilion, secretly pondering the current political situation, Fusu's mind was completely occupied by that blurry figure.

—Zhang Cang.

According to the original historical trajectory, Zhang Cang fled back to his hometown of Yangwu to escape punishment, and remained in hiding until the death of the First Emperor and the subsequent chaos caused by the Second Emperor.

He later followed Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, and fought in the south and north, destroying Qin and conquering Chu. He made outstanding contributions and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Beiping.

During the reign of Emperor Gao, he first served as the Minister of Planning, and later was promoted to Minister of Huainan and concurrently Grand Tutor to the King.

During Empress Lü's reign, he was appointed as the Grand Chancellor and Imperial Censor, ranking among the Three Dukes.

After the Lü Clan Rebellion, he joined Chen Ping, Zhou Bo, and others in welcoming Emperor Xiaowen of the Taizong Dynasty, Liu Heng, to the throne, and eventually became prime minister.

Throughout Zhang Cang's life, his literary and military talents, as well as his achievements in both civil administration and military affairs, were almost flawless.

In particular, Zhang Cang studied under Xunzi and was taught the Spring and Autumn Annals. In addition to his outstanding scholarship, he was also extremely accomplished in the art of divination!

His annotations to the "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" were regarded as the most standard commentary version of the "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" by later dynasties.

Fusu knew that this was a man of many talents.

But as Zhang Han just said, Zhang Cang is still somewhat "young" and his resume is too shallow.

He only served as an imperial censor for a few years and studied at the Shiqu Pavilion for a few years with a salary before fleeing back to his hometown out of fear of punishment.

When Fusu summoned Zhang Cang to court again, the first thing he needed to do was resolve Zhang Cang's identity issue.

At the very least, Zhang Cang's political status as a "fugitive criminal" should be changed to that of a reserve official who is "allowed to atone for his crimes through meritorious service".

Moreover, considering that Zhang Cang had never held an important position and was of advanced age, Fusu could not be too willful and directly promote him to the position of Left Chancellor.

—The Prime Minister of Qin was appointed with an official rank of 10,000 shi, but his actual salary was 4,000 shi. All his ministers gave way on his way, and he was treated with utmost courtesy by all officials!

Below the highest rank of "Prime Minister," there are at least six or seven more levels for Zhang Cang to climb step by step.

Speaking of this, we must mention the current official system of the Qin Dynasty.

The lowest level was a minor official under the jurisdiction of a local prefecture or county.

These minor officials were not usually listed in the "List of Officials" kept in the central government, and strictly speaking, they could not be considered as officials within the Qin Dynasty's official system.

These minor officials are usually recruited and appointed by local authorities based on their own actual needs.

The authorities did not recognize their status as "Qin officials" or "Qin clerks," nor were they responsible for paying them salaries.

Alternatively, the local officials who recruited them would provide them with three to five bushels of grain per month as a symbolic reward;

Or perhaps, they don't even offer this symbolic reward, leaving these people some space to seek personal gain in the gray area on the edge of the law.

The local authorities turned a blind eye, treating them as "retainers" kept by the county and prefectural governments.

Such minor officials typically earned less than 100 shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain per year in salary or income.

The "Hundred Stones" was the lowest administrative rank in the Qin Dynasty's official system.

—The lowest-ranking official in the Qin Dynasty was the "Zhi Bai Shi".

Therefore, these minor officials whose annual income was less than 100 shi (a unit of grain measure) were called "unranked".

It roughly means "without official rank and salary, one is not considered part of the official class".

...

Above the level of "no rank" is naturally the entry level of "ranked": 100 stones.

This level is not usually referred to as "official".

Instead, they would be called: Junior Official.

This is because even within a local county government, this level represents the very bottom of the food chain.

—When the county government holds a meeting, even a low-ranking official is not qualified to attend;

These junior officials of the Hundred Stone Rank were merely qualified to participate, but they were essentially just background figures.

In retrospect, this level was equivalent to a newly appointed clerk – anyone with a bit of power or rank could be ordered around.

The only difference between them and unranked minor officials was that they had official positions and could not be dismissed at any time, which could be considered as having an "official status".

...

Above that is 200 shi, and then 200 shi.

From this level onwards, the situation begins to improve.

—A rank of 200 shi (a unit of grain measure) usually refers to the head of a department in a local county government, and is considered a "senior official";

Those with a salary of 200 shi (a unit of grain measure) were mostly assistants to chief officials, and could also be considered reserve officials.

The concept of a chief official is roughly similar to that of the top leader in later generations.

The head of a county government department with a salary of 200 shi, the county magistrate with a salary of 400 to 600 shi, the head of a prefectural government department with a salary of around 1,000 shi, and the prefectural governor and military commander with a salary of 2,000 shi all belonged to the category of "senior officials".

Conversely, whether in local counties or the central government, any official who does not have a specific department or subordinate office, even if their rank is equivalent to a 2,000-stone official, still falls under the category of "junior officials".

With a salary of two hundred shi (a unit of grain), one would be considered an entry-level clerk. Although still within the category of "clerks," one had already obtained the ticket to becoming an "official."

This level is crucial.

It is extremely difficult to get promoted from a junior official with a salary of 100 shi (a unit of grain measure) to a senior official with a salary of 200 shi (another unit of grain measure).

—You need to accumulate seniority, build up merits, be exceptionally capable, and have excellent interpersonal skills;

After fulfilling all of the above requirements, one still needs to wait for a vacancy and be appreciated by a talent scout who is willing to promote them.

Unless one's personal abilities are exceptionally outstanding, to the point that "the local government office is too small to accommodate such a great figure";

Otherwise, it would be almost impossible to make the leap from a minor official with a salary of 100 shi (a unit of grain) to a senior official with a salary of 200 shi (another unit of grain).

As for those who come from prestigious families and whose reputations are widely known, they would certainly not start their official careers with a salary of 100 shi (a unit of grain measure) or less—they would have to be county officials with a salary of 200 shi or more as the beginning of their careers.

The reason for this is that, starting from 200 shi, the focus shifts from individual ability to personnel management, resource allocation, and integration.

Just think about it: the head of a department in a local county government would have at least three to five junior officials under his command, as well as a dozen to several dozen unranked minor officials.

Furthermore, as a local department, it must also have its main business scope.

Without management, coordination, and integration capabilities, it would be impossible to maintain the operation of the department, which in turn would affect the maintenance of the local county government.

Therefore, whether a junior official of a hundred shi (a unit of measurement) is outstanding depends on whether he can complete—and do so outstandingly—the tasks assigned by his superiors.

The magistrate with a salary of 200 shi (a unit of grain measure) is expected to be able to maintain order, manage a department effectively, resolve issues within the department's purview, and ensure its smooth operation.

The two are not exactly diametrically opposed, but at least completely unrelated.

...

From 200 shi and above, they are basically all within the same scope.

—A person with a salary of 200 shi (a unit of grain measure) is the head of a department in the county government; a person with a salary of 400 shi (a unit of grain measure) or 600 shi (a unit of grain measure) is usually a county magistrate or the head of a department in the prefecture government.

Those with a salary of 1,000 shi or 2,000 shi were the chief officials of the prefectural government or central government departments, or high-ranking officials such as prefects or military commanders.

They are all management positions; the only difference lies in the number of people they manage and the scope of the tasks they oversee.

As long as one can prove oneself while serving as the next level of official, there is an opportunity to be promoted to the next level of official.

If a local county government official performs exceptionally well, he or she may be promoted to the position of county government official, such as county magistrate or county commandant.

Of course, there might be a transitional period where one might serve as the head of a county-level government department, serving as a transitional and period of reflection.

The head of a prefectural government department also has the opportunity to become a prefect or a military commander—naturally, he must first gain experience and undergo tests in a central government department before being transferred to a local post.

Heads of central government departments have the opportunity to rise to the ranks of high-ranking officials and reach the top of the power pyramid!

Naturally, taking this step will require much more.

Reputation, character, ability, experience, and even military achievements and connections are all indispensable.

In general, the official ranks of the Qin Dynasty can be roughly divided into the following eight levels.

A low-ranking official without official position;

Junior official of the Hundred-Stone Rank;

Two hundred shi, a magistrate equivalent to two hundred shi;

Magistrates of counties with salaries of 400 or 600 shi (a unit of grain);

Officials with a salary of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain), and officials equivalent to 1,000 shi;

Two thousand piculs of grain, equivalent to a minister with two thousand piculs of grain;

A high-ranking official with a salary of 2,000 piculs of grain;

And the rank of Chancellor and Grand Commandant, equivalent to ten thousand bushels of grain.

...

Take the current court officials as an example. Right Chancellor Feng Quji and Left Chancellor Li Si belong to the highest level of ten thousand shi (a unit of grain measure).

Meng Tian, ​​the emperor's Grand Tutor and General-in-Chief, theoretically belonged to this rank, but his actual power was far less than that of the Left and Right Chancellors.

If we're being precise, Meng Tian could be ranked between 10,000 and 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measurement) – level 1.5.

Grand Censor Feng Jie was considered to be in the second tier: the face of the two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure) – the only one among the two thousand shi officials to be ranked among the Three Dukes.

The nine ministers, including Meng Yi, the Grand Master of the Palace, and Zhang Han, the Minister of the Imperial Household, belonged to the top rank of officials with a salary of two thousand piculs of grain.

The local prefectural governor was the "basic" rank of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure), while the prefectural commandant was the "reduced" rank of a true two thousand shi.

However, they all belong to the second level category.

The third level, "two thousand shi" and "compared to two thousand shi," refers to the rank of the chief officials of departments under the Nine Ministers and the deputy officials of local prefecture-level departments.

For example, the Lieutenant and General of the Palace Guard under the Inner Historian, as well as the Prefectural Assistant and the Chief Poster of the local prefectural government, all belong to this level.

Reaching this level means you've initially grasped the threshold of the "central government" and are qualified to speak up on important occasions such as court meetings.

Some of the deputy officials under the Nine Ministers—such as the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household Department and the Vice Minister of the Censorate under the Censor-in-Chief—also belonged to this third level.

The fourth tier below consists of the backbone of the imperial court and the top-ranking elites in local government offices.

Further down, it goes to the fifth level, where each stone costs 600.

—In the center of the imperial court are ordinary people, the kind who could be hit by a single turn of the head.

In the prefectural government, they were the backbone; in the county government, they were the county magistrates of large counties with large populations and vast territories.

Zhang Cang, whom Fusu was considering, had previously served as an imperial censor, a position of this rank.

Once you understand these points, it's not hard to see why Zhang Han treats Zhang Cang.

—A censor with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain), especially one who had never served as a "chief official";

He jumped from the ranks of 1,000 shi, 2,000 shi, and middle 2,000 shi to the position of prime minister at the 10,000 shi level.

Even if Emperor Fusu, the second emperor, had personally used connections, this leap would still be considered a disruption of the political ecosystem of the court.

Logically speaking, Zhang Cang came from a prestigious family, had academic qualifications and abilities, so starting with the position of censor with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain), was quite proper.

According to the normal training schedule, Zhang Cang should have stayed in the position of censor for a few years and made some achievements—at least he should have put forward some political views that would be appreciated by the emperor during a meeting between the emperor and his ministers, and thus gained some initial political capital.

He was then transferred to a large county as a county magistrate, serving as an internship in his career as a "senior official" to see if he could achieve anything.

If one can maintain the normal operation of the county, one is considered qualified and can be promoted to a department head position at the county level to continue gaining experience.

If one achieves outstanding results and governs a large county in an orderly manner, it is not impossible to be recalled to the central government and appointed to a department under the jurisdiction of the Nine Ministers.

Regardless of the path taken, the ultimate goal is to serve as the chief official in a department under one of the Nine Ministers in the central court and achieve results.

Later, under certain circumstances—such as when a vacancy became available in a region—he gained the trust of the king and was appointed as a prefect or military commander in a remote area.

The next step was to enter the court and become one of the Nine Ministers.

Moreover, it started from the less important positions among the Nine Ministers and gradually moved towards more important positions such as the Inner Historian and the Minister of the Imperial Household.

Only after proving oneself at the level of the Nine Ministers can one have the opportunity to aspire to the level of the Three Dukes—first as the Grand Censor, and then waiting for an opportunity to become the Prime Minister.

The Imperial Censor Feng Jie, who is currently in the court, is a potential prime minister whom the First Emperor began cultivating in advance, taking into account the advanced age of the Right Chancellor Feng Quji.

Fusu's appointment of Meng Yi as the Grand Master of the Nine Ministers was also a preparation for Meng Yi's future appointment as a general and prime minister.

Therefore, if Fusu wanted to promote Zhang Cang—a scholar who had once served as a censor with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain), he could not directly elevate him to the position of prime minister if he still had any concern about the impact.

At the very least, he should be sent to a local post, or even directly appointed as a prefect, which could be interpreted as Jian being favored by the emperor.

After getting past the prefect, he was recalled to Xianyang to serve as one of the Nine Ministers, which was at least a token gesture before being pulled into the Prime Minister's residence.

"The Prefect..."

"Um……"

As he murmured, Fu Su's mind raced, with countless plans and possibilities flashing through his mind.

In the end, it all boiled down to a calm and collected statement: "Send someone to urge them on."

"It's been several dozen days already. Even if it's slow, we should have entered Hangu Pass by now."

...

"Once the person arrived in Xianyang, they were sent directly to the palace."

"I wish to see Zhang Cang in person."

Having given these instructions, and with the warrior beside him departing in gratitude, Fusu reluctantly rose and looked back towards Xianyang.

I still don't really want to go back;

Yet, he still had no choice but to shake his head and sigh as he boarded the imperial carriage to return to Xianyang.

—There are still many things to do.

There are still many things that require Fusu's personal attention, review, and even hands-on involvement...